Home → Blog → Festival → Pongal Festival 2026: Traditions, Significance & Rituals
Pongal Festival 2026: Traditions, Significance & Rituals
On December 23, 2025Pongal is one of Tamil Nadu's most well-known festivals, celebrating the important agricultural season with religious events, traditions and cultural significance. Observed in the Tamil month of ‘Thai’, it is believed to bring good luck, prosperity and new beginnings. It is the first Tamil festival of the year and is celebrated over four days of devotion, rituals and gratitude for nature’s bounty. Observed in mid-January every year, it is a festival to honour the harvest season, the cattle that help with farming and most importantly, the Sun God that supports farming life. In 2026, this festival is from the 14th to the 17th of January.
History and Significance of Pongal
Pongal was celebrated during the Chola rule under Kulottunga I (1070-1122 CE). This information can be found in the inscriptions of the Viraraghava temple. It is written that the king gave a land for the Pongal celebration.
There are many variations of the name Pongal in inscriptions and Tamil texts, such as Ponkal, Tiruponakam and Ponakam.
The Tiruvempavai by Manikkavacakar, a 9th-century text, references this festival.
Variations of the contemporary Pongal, served as prasadam in South Indian temples, are found in recipes from the Chola to Vijayanagara periods.
The Significance of Pongal Festival
Traditionally, Pongal represents the harmony between people and nature.
The word "Pongal," which means "to boil and overflow," refers to the fertility and abundance of the harvest.
Pongal is celebrated to honour Surya Deva, the Sun God, as he is the source of life.
It commemorates the end of winter and the beginning of Uttarayana (the first day of spring), representing growth and the renewal of life.
How to Celebrate the 4-Day Pongal Festival?
Day 1: Bhogi Festival
The first day of Pongal signifies the start of new beginnings and the anticipation of all the celebratory customs and ceremonies that will occur in the following three days.
January 14, 2026 (Wednesday)
Bhogi is a day in which people prepare their homes for the festival of Pongal by cleaning and decorating them before the celebration commences.
It marks the end of Margazhi, the Tamil month and the beginning of the Thai month.
Old and unused items are discarded to embrace new beginnings.
Celebrates a new beginning, people light large bonfires and burn their old and unused clothes and other possessions. Burning these represents throwing out all the negativity and inviting all the new positive things to come your way.
Indira is offered prayers for good rains and weather for a fruitful harvest in the year ahead.
Day 2: Thai Pongal
Thai Pongal significance is that it is the day when the traditional Pongal is made, and people pray to the Sun for another prosperous year.
Thai Pongal 2026
January 15th, 2026, Thursday.
Thai Pongal is one of the main days of the Pongal festival. The main significance of the Thai Pongal festival is that this day is a day set aside for worshipping the Sun God, Surya Deva.
On this day, each home is decorated with a colourful Kolam, and the doorways are decorated with mango and banana leaves.
Family members wear new clothes, and they make the traditional Pongal dish in large earthen pots, adorned with sugarcane, flowers and turmeric.
The Pongal is allowed to boil over, representing the overflow of prosperity, and when this occurs, everyone sings "Pongalo Pongal,".
After this event, the Pongal is offered as a form of Naivedyam to Surya, to express gratitude. This is then shared as Prasadam to family and friends.
Day 3: Mattu Pongal
This is a day to celebrate the cattle, which are a farmer’s companion.
Mattu Pongal 2026
January 16th 2026, Friday
A day to celebrate the cattle, a source of wealth and essential for dairy, transportation and agriculture.
Cattle are given a bath, adorned with flowers and garlands, and their horns painted.
They are fed jaggery, fruits, honey and pongal.
Jallikattu, the bull-taming sport, is hosted in villages and temple processions, with dance and music.
Women do the Kanu Pidi ritual for their brothers' well-being by placing various cooked, colored rice on turmeric leaves.
Day 4: Kanum Pongal
It is a day for family time and outings.
Kanum Pongal 2026
January 17th, 2026, Saturday.
The end of the 4-day celebration.
Kanum means visit, and this day is for family get-togethers.
People meet for festive meals, sugarcane and social events, and it is the perfect ending to the festival.
Pongal Outside of Tamil Nadu
While Pongal is the most important festival for the people of Tamil Nadu, the harvest festival is celebrated in various parts of India with different names.
It is called Mahar Sankaranthi in North India
In Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana, it is called Magar Sankranti.
In Kerala, it is called Pongal
Tamil communities outside India celebrate it with great devotion, making it a global festival.
Pongal may be a harvest festival, but it is also a spiritual celebration of new beginnings and to express gratitude to Mother Nature for her bounty. - Pongal 2026 Dates
- Pongal Festival 2026
- Pongal Rituals
The item has been added to your cart.
